The clock is now ticking on Nicola Sturgeon’s time as First Minister of Scotland.
Her decision to step down came as a shock to almost everyone in, and out, of the Scottish political bubble.
But the impact of her resignation is nothing short of seismic.
Her time as First Minister has spanned eight years and eight elections – each of them victorious.
But the central, driving goal of her political life – Scottish independence from the UK – remains elusive. And her record in office is punctuated by extreme highs and lows.
Her concert hall-filling tour in the wake of the 2014 vote on independence and her leadership through the Covid pandemic will long be remembered.
But her efforts around the endemic drugs problem and educational attainment – a subject she demanded to be judged upon – and various crises in the NHS will also stick in the memory.
Nicola Sturgeon leaves a legacy for Scotland
She broke new ground, not just as Scotland first female leader and the longest serving First Minister in Scottish political history but in an increasingly progressive policy agenda and in her determination to increase diversity and improve the life chances of the more vulnerable members of society.
Her turbulent relationship with her predecessor and one-time mentor, Alex Salmond, could easily have come to define her. But instead she not only became the dominant political figure of her generation but, arguably, of the devolution era.
Her resignation speech was everything that Sturgeon has become in office – eloquent, measured, determined but purposeful.
Her comments around the brutality of modern politics and the 24/7 nature of the job as First Minister pointedly reflect the huge personal cost of leading this nation.
Nicola Sturgeon’s time is ending, but she leaves a legacy.
No matter what side of the political divide you fall on, her dedication to Scotland and its people can never be doubted.
Conversation